No Country For OLD Men(2007) 4K UHD Review | Criterion Collection | The Release This Movie Deserves?

[@mattyslicks]

One thing that stands out to me regarding this film is its staying power. I saw it in theaters when I was 21 years old, and I still remember the chilling feeling that Bardem gave as well as its divisive ending. There were so many scenes that just stuck with me that i could remember frame by frame and word for word in-between long abesences of viewing. As a 21 year old i admittedly didnt love the ending because i didnt fully grasp what Jones was saying and I wasn't expecting it to end there. That changed pretty quickly though with subsequent viewings. This is a modern classic and is one of the best films of the 21st century. To me its a treasure.

[@chriskopinto]

I know it’s how you feel about it but you shouldn’t be disappointed by the Dolby Vision/HDR on this. The film’s intended color grade was that desaturated look, so really no vibrancy in the color. With the preserved color, 4K detail, improved darks in the night shots; this release is still a huge win.

[@jcr321]

Excellent comparison video! Also a good reminder that I need to rewatch this.

[@kurb1980]

This looked fantastic on my setup and the audio is very good! I saw this in theaters on opening weekend this reminded me of that experience. Javier Bardem’s all time performance I was so captivated by his performance it reminded me of when Tony Hopkins opening scene in Lambs grabbed me immediately.

[@sochin33]

Thank you very much, I just canceled my Amazon order. No need to spend close to 30 bucks for a 4K if it doesn’t have significantly better picture and audio quality.

[@UncleWillyD]

Anton's haircut is the real star of the film. Definitely want to see the movie in 4K

[@ANDRE1mang]

Got the 4K criterion this week. It's good! Nothing stand out-ish but the quality and audio is still really good.

[@willnoiles2001]

There was a BluRay steelbook release of ‘No Country For Old Men’ back in the day (the first steelbook I ever owned) and it had plenty of extras on it. I remember it was out about the same time as the BluRay you have. I found it at Best Buy. This is where a number of the archival special features were pulled from.

[@RyanWard1987]

Great review, Ken! I felt the same about the HDR/Dolby Vision, sadly. (I do hope no one at Criterion hears this though or they’ll probably just blindly assume it means we just don’t want DV at all or something, lol😩 “oh they don’t care for DV? We’ll keep that in mind…” lol😅😩) But yeah, personally it feels like it was maybe an older 4K scan in a DV container or something, and/or a scan with only 2 exposures per frame (one slight overexposure, one slight under exposure, vs the usual 3 to 5/multiple under/overexposures + neutral), because there’s definitely a lack of detail in the highlights which you’d normally see brought out much more prominently in a great Dolby Vision grade of a 4K transfer from a movie with film as the source material👍

[@Superdimensional]

The sharpness isn’t worlds better but the color grading is, the Blu-ray has a very different look, very contrasty by comparison with the Dolby vision looking much more natural.

[@Chrisratata]

Imo the ending is perfect. Literally one of my favorite endings of all time. It's a thematic ending, not meant to be "plot-focused"

[@SpaceCattttt]

I hated the ending. It ruined the film.

[@midlevelmedia]

I’ve always loved iy

[@Mandarintoenail1]

If y’all read the book it’s 1 to 1. You can read the book as Tommy Lee Jones talks

[@PDXFilmmongers]

When the film first came out on home video, there was a 3-disc deluxe edition on DVD released along with the standard DVD and the extra features on the 3-disc set never got transported to the Blu-ray.

[@romeroflores7576]

Believe me... A year after I discovered this film, I seeked out high and low to find the special 3-disc set. Glad I have it. 🎴🎴🎴🎴

[@PDXFilmmongers]

There are some features on that set that didn't make it to the Criterion 4K release.

[@thejuiced1_]

It’s the night scenes where you notice the difference. Plus the color looks washed on the blu ray. 4k is much more natural looking IMO

[@michaelpitts7584]

This is my favorite Coen brothers film. It’s absolute masterpiece. I upgraded to the 4k because all I had was the dvd. I wish Criterion would do There Will Be Blood

[@midlevelmedia]

It’s probably my favorite of theirs as well. And yes, There Will Be Blood would be perfect!

[@lmaololroflcopter]

“Just how dangerous is he?” “Compared to what, the bubonic plague?”

[@midlevelmedia]

@@lmaololroflcopter Woody is fantastic in this movie. Especially his scene with Javier.

[@InimicusSolitus]

I got my copy already. A modern classic film.

[@shmackatrotsky5394]

Deep Discount currently has a 45% off Criterion sale. *edit: but Amazon prices usually beats that, with many Criterions on sale most of the time

[@garyharper2943]

Thanks, convinced me that the Blu-ray is good enough.

[@gbgary]

I thought the picture was better on all fronts...and as you said the packaging is terrific.

[@GamezGuru1]

the packaging? It didn't even get a slipcover, let alone digipack release!

[@brunomachado7279]

​@@GamezGuru1There are no slipcovers in Criterion releases.

[@christisdale9977]

Getting my blue ray today.I've never seen it,looking forward to it.

[@HomeCinemaEnthusiast]

Love No Country For Old Men 👌👌👌👌👌

[@beanguy]

I saw this movie and Eastern Promises on the same night in the theaters( EP was playing in the budget theater, NCFOM had just released). Eastern Promises was surprisingly a more optimistic chaser to No Country for Old Men.

[@AdamGall]

I’ll let you know what I think if I ever get it. I’ve ordered it 3 times and every single one has gotten delayed. Amazon keeps asking me if I still want it and won’t let me confirm the order, so I just have to keep ordering it separately again.

[@mattyslicks]

I enjoyed this transfer. While i agree that this movie doesnt really have the color pallet to shine in DV/HDR, I thought it looked incredibly filmic and had an amazing grain structure, which is essential for films with a Western assthetic. What really made me appreciate this was seeing that filmic aspect missing from Costners Horizon which would have greatly benefited from being shot on film.

[@bigideas3]

A lot of the Coen Bros movies end kind of open-ended. I get scenes from this and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada mixed together. The funniest shot for me is when he jumps in the water and looks back and sees that dog floating in the water.

[@Paranimal86]

Can’t believe this movie is almost 20 years old already 😢 I feel like it was so recent.

[@MikeMargolis-j8f]

Absolute modern classic, as it's always billed - no doubt. However, I'm perfectly happy with the original Disney/Miramax Blu-ray in terms of picture and sound. The 1080p transfer is still near-demo quality with regard to closeup details, color saturation and, primarily, black levels. For an example of what rich, limitless black levels should look like, check out the sequence when Brolin is crossing the bridge into Mexico at night. Absolutely jaw dropping. The uncompressed PCM 5.1 audio on the Blu could be a bit better, but that can be said about a lot of PCM tracks; in the plus column, the mix does startle when a sudden action bit breaks the dead silence, such as when they're having the shootout at the Eagle Pass Hotel. If you have your system up loud, the gunshots from Bardem's gun - as well as Brolin's - can be downright jarring. As much as I love the film, I just can't bring myself to replace the Blu; there really isn't anything wrong with it. As Ken mentioned, that opening sequence where Bardem walks over to the car on the road is SO ridiculously sharp and clear, I just can't see any upgrade besting it.

[@Tyler_W]

This is a top 10 film for me. I love that Criterion is releasing it, and I'm hoping that I get it for Christmas.

[@dancole6867]

Never owned this in any format., until now. Very happy with the look of this 4K.

[@1165mac]

If the Disney disc is comparable to the 4K disc, I’m wondering if there’s much difference at all between Criterion’s remastered standard Blu-ray disc.

[@letstalkcriterion]

Slightly confused the cinematography for this film was by Roger Deakins its look is deliberate, he also supervised this transfer, he also was nominated for an Oscar for the film. I would certainly recommend The Shape of Water that 4k is only HDR but it looks amazing.

[@michelle_pgh]

I'll upgrade eventually. I'll probably wait for the next B&N sale or Criterion flash sale. I realize it's only $3 difference, but I'm just not in a hurry to buy this. I always liked There Will Be Blood better.

[@Goredguts77]

Perdita Durango is another Masterpiece with Javier. Must See!!

[@RyanWard1987]

Yes!! Awesome seeing this get namedropped here! Also has an excellent 4K!

[@Leeappleberry74]

I’ve been waiting a long time for this

[@in6087]

I wasn’t a huge fan of some speckling of the blue skies near the start of the movie in the 4k on my setup. Mostly, it was good though.

[@blainejacob1]

Josh Brolin did a recent episode of Joe Rogan and he talks about this movie.

[@DeliveryServiceFan06]

Criterion should do a 4K of Something Wild with Ray Liotta because that movie need a 4K upgrade from Blu-Ray and this movie is a time capsule of 1986 and it needed to be on 4K also No Country For Old Man is my favorite coen brother film thanks for Criterion to release this film on 4K.

[@wayne1da121]

I want city of god on 4K

[@brunomachado7279]

Great expectations brings great frustrations.

[@ericfung608]

Hey Ken great video thanks for the review. Now a couple of classic films I've been wanting them to release on 4k is Gangs of New York & There will be blood.

[@shmackatrotsky5394]

hells yeah to both of those picks!!!

[@theshakyproject2971]

Yeah, the Coen Brothers don't really do audio commentaries. They did one for The Man Who Wasn't There with Billy Bob Thornton, and I think that's pretty much it. I'm guessing that was a contractual obligation.

[@collier6794]

We need O brother where art thou 4k 25th Anniversary in 2025

[@Harjawaldar]

70 dollars in Norway

[@brunomachado7279]

I visited the wonderful Norway a few years ago. I spent a week eating a burguer local franchise (I forgot the name, Max something, I guess) to try to save money. 😅😅

[@Harjawaldar]

@@brunomachado7279 yeah, Max burgers are good!

[@brunomachado7279]

@@Harjawaldar Indeed!

[@Seriously140]

Man I want to buy this and Demolition Man, but the prices are so out of hand.

[@beartoes2002]

All of Cormack McCarthy Books which he wrote this novel prior to this movie, are so good. Watch The Road. He wrote that too. Read up on Cormack, the book is sooo much better than movie.

[@midlevelmedia]

@@beartoes2002 I need to check out The Road at some point.

[@beartoes2002]

@midlevelmedia such an underrated Vigo Mortensen gem.

[@nicholassims8112]

And Josh B. was also in American Ganger the year that this & Grindhouse came out.

[@JayMane-z7c]

I posted the 1st comment for this Video that the 4K release includes the re-mastered Blu-ray too. However ...YT or other deleted it for some A-hat reason?

[@midlevelmedia]

I am not deleting any comments.

[@JayMane-z7c]

@@midlevelmedia I didn't say you ...but it was probably YT with their Stupid AI since it happens on other channels too.🙂

[@stevenmackay8053]

Why the sale right now? "No Country for Old Men" is a Christmas movie!

[@Cinetacular]

I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit disappointed with this release. I wish they didn't jack up the brightness. I was also expecting this particular release to be a bit more sharp. On my first viewing, I thought I had accidentally placed the standard blu ray in the player by mistake.

[@JayMane-z7c]

Quit deleting simple comments! ! !

[@cambodianz]

No Country for Old Men isn’t a bland looking movie, dude.

[@Cinetacular]

This current release is. They upped the brightness so everything has a more washed look.

[@cambodianz]

@ it now sits at the same latitude as the theatrical print. Deakins was known for pushing his highlights like this in that era. This movie and especially Jarhead. In either event, it’s not “bland”.

[@Cinetacular]

@@cambodianz Doesn't matter. It's still looks washed and bland.

[@cambodianz]

@ nothing about that movie looks bland. Learn words.

[@gbgary]

is it a horror film? 😉

[@menkros1]

Nope. Action suspense

[@stevenbatke2475]

Chigur is scary.